Lost Prophet - Saratoga
AleSmith Brewing Company

absolutely absurd beer, a bigtime imperial stout, which we all know how well alesmith does, aged in bourbon and brandy barrels, a monster in terms of abv, and one of the more flavorful beers ive had in a long time, it has made an incredible impression for both quality and uniqueness, and the impact the brandy has here cannot be overstated. inky black pour from the tap with more head than expected, a sexy and thick middle brown color to it, lathered up and dense, only a half inch high but still, crowns this nicely. long legs on it, and it looks right in a small whiskey glass. the aroma is striking, insanely woody, charred up nicely, with heavy cigar and chewing tobacco even, but like in a good way, in a way that makes me wished i chewed or something, so crazy. hints of raisin and dark leather and lots of vanilla. roasty and coffee forward too, with the brandy adding a warm alcohol presence and some sweetness, its out in front of the bourbon but both are evident. no smokiness, no heavy residual sugar it doesnt seem, and its almost addicting its so interesting. the flavor follows the nose, some caramel richness through much of it, tastes and feels like this was boiled and reduced a long while. again brandy does a ton to this, its vinous and earthy and wooden, its got honey and spice and tobacco, like straight up long cut skoal, definite molasses and raw sugar, decadent vanilla from the bourbon and some new oak intensity too, char and good espresso on the dark end with the roasted barley, but this has barleywine elements too, more bready and nutty in the middle, slightly candied but again, not crazy sweet overall. warming brandy at the end, date fruitiness, and its stuck on my palate in a wonderful way. subtle hints of cedar, almond, and organic cocoa. absolutely loved it, a favorite from an absurd lineup of rare and exotic and strong beers, this is about as good as it gets in this style space for me, and the barrel treatment is simply tremendous. of the finest quality and not one to miss!